Daughters are the key to educating dads about women

Talk to many men and their number one issue with women is the inability to understand them.  Some men have went gone as far as to question their closest female friends or even secured the friendship of the most feminine of males to help them with this issue but I recently discovered that my youngest daughter was the key to my better understanding of women and this may be true for you as well.

For example, when she is picking through her food, my first thought is that she must not be hungry or have a personal problem that she does not feel comfortable talking with me about but I have recently discovered that the main reason she does so is she is currently on her period and already feels bloated and in pain.  This explains quite a bit about her going off on her brother during these times for little to nothing.  This also provides me with an excellent opportunity to not only learn more myself but explain it in a male fashion to my son so that he does not grow up as ignorant about women as I am.  It further helps me learn to understand what she and many women may be going through as well as find a much better way to be more supportive during that time.

Many times, I would just completely turn off and dismiss the amass of feelings women was having during that time as just her being on her period but now I can truly relate because when I am in pain, I too can become a bear to live with and the stronger the pain that I am under the more aggressive and angry I can get.  It’s not any longer dismissed and instead I ask what I can do to help.  I am even more willing to help during those times and even extremely disappointed in myself that I cannot relieve her pain.  What I discovered is that kind of support does not go unnoticed and later when things are much calmer, I am informed of just how much it was appreciated.  This simple acceptance of forces outside of our control but the willingness to stand right beside those facing those forces for no other reason than just being there, allows us to create an even stronger bond than that that exists between a dad and his daughter.

I can now reflect back upon all those times I knew that I was doing wrong by dismissing women’s pain but had no earthly idea what else to do.  I can now stand directly by my wife’s side as she endures this pain and support her in a much better way than any man could ever think possible.  I am most grateful to my daughter for teaching this old dog a new trick and allowing her dad to be truly a much better dad than he ever could without this new found knowledge.  Now the words “from the mouths of babes” really do mean something.